Camping de l'Ill

There are further furry creatures to be found at Le Parc du Petit Prince, half an hour’s drive away, along with rollercoasters and gentler rides, live shows and a 3D cinema. Further afield, you can go into raptures over the raptors and become mates with the monkeys at the adjacent birds of prey and primate themed wildlife parks outside Kintzheim, an hour and 10 minutes away. Alsace and its gentle hills make fine terrain for horse trekking too, with centres between 20 minutes and half an hour away in Wattwillen and Aspach-le-Haut. If you prefer to walk, the trails up Hartmannswillerkopf give cracking views over the Rhine Valley while the museum 30 minutes from the site explains its strategic importance during World War II. Pause for a little fortification in Thann (25 minutes), the southern end of the Alsace wine route, which stretches for 160 kilometres through the eastern edge of the Vosges mountains up to Marlenheim. A trout trail also begins in Thann, with stopoffs for catching and consuming along the wooded banks of the Thur river. Any petrolheads seeking a break from all that peace and scenery can settle in for rallies and regular race meets at the Anneau du Rhin circuit in Biltzheim, half an hour away.